Capsule for infusion products

ABSTRACT

The capsule for infusion products comprises a cup-shaped body made of a plastic material defined by a bottom wall, which is provided with a beverage outlet area, and by a lateral wall, a lid, arranged so as to close the cup-shaped body and which is provided with a water inlet area and an infusion product contained in the cup-shaped body. The capsule includes a plurality of abutments that originate from the inner face of the bottom wall and define labyrinth-shaped channels for the beverage towards the outlet area and on which a water-proof disc is fixed. Furthermore, the capsule comprises a passage of the beverage from the chamber defined in the cup-shaped body and the labyrinth-shaped channels.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a capsule for infusion of products ingranules, powder or leaves, such as, for example, coffee, barley,powered milk, tea, chamomile etc.

BACKGROUND ART

Generally, the capsules for infusion products comprise a cup made of aplastic material in which the infusion product is housed, and a lidarranged so as to close the cup; the lid is either made of a plasticmaterial or defined by a film. When the capsule is inserted in apercolation chamber of a beverage extraction machine, pressurized hotwater is injected and crosses at least one hole made in the lid so as tomix with the infusion product inside the cup. The beverage then exitsfrom the cup through at least one hole made in the bottom wall of thecup.

The capsules described above have a plurality of drawbacks.

In particular, in the currently marketed capsules, the main problems arethe impregnation of the infusion product with the water to form thebeverage, the possibility that some of the infusion product may not beconcerned by the water entering into the capsule and the possibilitythat part of the infusion product may exit from the bottom wall. Thefirst two problems are mainly due to preferential channels that thewater uses to pass from the inlet to the outlet of the capsule.Furthermore, the first two problems are also due to the excessivepassage speed of the water across the capsule.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

It is the object of the present invention to make an infusion capsulefor products in granules, powder or leaves, which is free from thementioned drawbacks and which has a particular conformation which allowsa correct, effective mixing of water and infusion product without partof the same exiting from the capsule.

According to the present invention, a capsule for infusion products ismade comprising:

a cup-shaped body made of a plastic material and defined by a bottomwall, which is provided with a beverage outlet area, and by a lateralwall;

a lid, which is arranged so as to close said cup-shaped body and isprovided with a water inlet area;

an infusion product contained in said cup-shaped body;

characterized in that a plurality of abutments originate from the innerface of said bottom wall and define labyrinth-shaped channels for thepath of the beverage towards said outlet area, a water-proof disc beingfixed onto said abutments, and characterized in that it comprises apassage for the beverage from the chamber defined in said cup-shapedbody and said labyrinth-shaped channels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the invention, an embodiment will bedescribed by way of non-limitative example only, with the aid of thefigures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective top view of a capsule made according to thedictates of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective bottom view of the capsule in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section view of a cup-shaped body of the capsule in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view on enlarged scale of a part of the cup-shaped body inFIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the cup-shaped body in FIG. 3.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 indicates as awhole an embodiment of the capsule for infusion products according tothe present invention; capsule 1 is adapted to contain an infusionproduct. Capsule 1 is adapted to be inserted in a percolation chamber(not shown). Capsule 1 comprises a one-piece cup-shaped body 2,preferably made of a plastic material, of slightly truncated cone shapedefined by a lateral wall 3 and by a bottom wall 4. Capsule 1 furthercomprises a lid 5, made of a plastic material and fixed byrestrain-fitting or welding at the upper part of the cup-shaped body 2.The lid 5 has a water inlet area and the bottom wall 4 has a beverageoutlet area. In the illustrated example, the water inlet area is definedby holes 6 made in lid 5 and the beverage outlet area is defined byholes 7 made in bottom wall 4. Naturally, lid 5 and bottom wall 4 couldhave valves adapted to open the respective holes by effect of the waterpressure, instead of holes 6 and 7, or the lid and bottom wall 4 couldbe pierced by appropriate means present in the percolation chamber tomake the aforesaid holes. In all cases, holes 7 are made in the centralpart of bottom wall 4.

Lateral wall 3 has an upper annular edge 8 onto which lid 5 is fixed,which is in close contact with the lower face of the upper body of thepercolation chamber in use: furthermore, lateral wall 3 has a lowerannular edge 9 which extends beyond the level of bottom wall 4 and is inclose contact with the upper face of the lower body of the percolationchamber in use. Furthermore, an annular abutment 10, which defines anannular groove 11 with the edge 9, extends outwards from bottom wall 4(FIGS. 3 and 4).

With reference to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, a plurality of abutments 12 arrangedon several rows concentric to one another extend from the inner face ofthe bottom wall 4. In particular, holes 7 are made in the central partof the bottom wall 4, and then a first row of abutments 12 arrangedequidistant from one another along a first circumference with center inthe center of the bottom wall 4 is defined about them. A second row ofabutments 12, also equidistant from one another and with the spacedefined between two subsequent abutments 12 at an abutment 12 of thefirst row of abutments 12, is defined about that, at a given distanceand concentrically to the first row of abutments 12. A third row ofabutments 12, also equidistant from one another and with the spacedefined between two subsequent abutments 12 at an abutment 12 of thesecond row of abutments 12, is defined about that, at a given distanceand concentrically to the second row of abutments 12. Finally, a fourthrow of abutments 12, also equidistant from one another and with thespace defined between two subsequent abutments 12 at an abutment 12 ofthe third row of abutments 12, is defined about that, at a givendistance and concentrically to the third row of abutments 12. It isworth noting that the abutments 12 of each row are equal in size andthat the size of the abutments 12 of each row is different from the sizeof the abutments of the other rows. Furthermore, the longitudinal axisof the abutments 12 of the first and of fourth row are defined along adiametrical axis with center in the center of the bottom wall 4, whilethe longitudinal axis of the abutments 12 of the second and third row istangent to the circumference of the respective row. The abutments 12 ofthe fourth row have a longitudinal end which originates from the innerface of the lateral wall 3.

A disc 13, with a circular peripheral profile and center in the centerof the bottom wall 4, which in the illustrated example is defined by apreferably transparent water-proof film, is fixed to the abutments 12.It is fixed by welding. Obviously, the disc 13 may be made of any othermaterial and fixed to the abutments 12 by restrain-fitting or othersystem. The disc 13 has a diameter that is smaller than the diameter ofthe inner face of the lateral wall 3 at the same level of the disc 13,and for this reason, the disc 13 rests only on an inner portion of thefourth row of abutments 12. In this manner, an annular passage 14 of thewater is created between the peripheral edge of the disc 13 and theinner face of the lateral wall 3.

In use, the water which mixes with the infusion product present in thechamber defined in the cup-shaped body 2 over the disc 13 is made toenter into the cup-shaped body 2 through the holes 6. The beverage thusdefined by such a mixing is conveyed through the passage 14 into thelabyrinth-shaped channels created by the rows of abutments 2 and fromsuch channels the beverage exits from the capsule 1 through the holes 7.

It is immediately apparent that the labyrinth defined by the rows of theabutments 12 slows down the speed of the beverage allowing the water toremain inside the cup-shaped body 2 for a longer time. On one hand, thisimplies a longer contact time between water and product, and thus alonger infusion, and on the other it implies the possibility of thewater to infuse all of the infusion product contained in said cup-shapedbody 2. Finally, the labyrinth obstructs the exiting of the granules ofthe infusion product from the cup-shaped body.

In a further embodiment (not shown) of the present invention, disc 13has micro holes appropriately spaced out from one another so that thewater may be channeled towards the labyrinth either through passage 14and micro holes or through the micro holes alone when the 13 has adiameter equal to the inner diameter of lateral wall 3 and thus when thepassage 14 is not present.

By making the labyrinth described above, empirical tests have shown aneffective, total infusion of water and product allowing a product withbetter organoleptic properties. Furthermore, the increased efficacy ofthe infusion allows to insert a smaller amount of product in cup-shapedbody 2. Finally, it is found to form a more effective obstacle to theexiting of granules of the infusion product from the cup-shaped bodyduring the step of percolating and before the step of percolating.

Preferably, cup-shaped body 2 and/or lid 5 are made of PET and/or PP,which, as known, are plastic materials of the polyolefin class.Furthermore, the entire capsule 1 is preferably made of a biodegradableplastic material, which, as known, is defined by a plastic materialappropriately blended with already known substances, or alternatively byusing biopolymers which make the capsules 1 biodegradable.

1-9. (canceled)
 10. A capsule for infusion products, the capsulecomprising: a cup-shaped body made of a plastic material, the cup-shapedbody defined by a lateral wall and by a bottom wall that is providedwith a beverage outlet area; a lid that is arranged so as to close thecup-shaped body, the lid provided with a water inlet area; an infusionproduct contained in the cup-shaped body; a plurality of abutments thatoriginate from the bottom wall and define labyrinth-shaped channels fora path of a beverage towards the beverage outlet area; a water-proofdisc fixed onto the plurality of abutments; and a passage for thebeverage from a chamber defined in the cup-shaped body to thelabyrinth-shaped channels.
 11. The capsule according to claim 10,wherein at least two rows of the plurality of abutments originate fromthe bottom wall.
 12. The capsule according to claim 11, wherein the atleast two rows of the plurality of abutments are concentric to oneanother as well as concentric to a center of the bottom wall where thebeverage outlet area is defined.
 13. The capsule according to claim 11,wherein, for each of the at least two rows, the plurality of abutmentsare substantially equally spaced apart from one another.
 14. The capsuleaccording to claim 11, wherein the plurality of abutments of at leastone row have a longitudinal axis thereof arranged along a diameter axishaving a center thereof at a center of the bottom wall.
 15. The capsuleaccording to claim 11, wherein the plurality of abutments of at leastone row have a longitudinal axis thereof arranged tangent to acircumference of the respective row.
 16. The capsule according to claim14, wherein a given distance is defined between two adjacent rows andeach row has its abutments arranged in correspondence to the spacedefined between two following abutments of the adjacent row.
 17. Thecapsule according to claim 10, wherein the water-proof disc has adiameter that is smaller than an inner diameter of an inner face of thelateral wall at a same level of the water-proof disc, so as to create anannular passage between a peripheral edge of the water-proof disc andthe inner face of the lateral wall, through which the beverage flowsfrom the chamber defined in the cup-shaped body to the labyrinth-shapedchannels.
 18. The capsule according to claim 10, wherein the water-proofdisc has micro holes, through which the beverage flows from the chamberdefined in the cup-shaped body to the labyrinth-shaped channels.